Texas Woman's University Starts $30 Million Sports Facility

Texas Woman's University broke ground on a new athletic facility on Oct. 23. The project costs $30 million and will occupy land adjacent to the Pioneer Soccer Park. The structure is designed to cover approximately 35,000 square feet.

The complex includes a practice gym, locker rooms, a weight room, and a sports medicine clinic. It will also house batting cages, coaches' offices, and meeting spaces. Construction starts in spring 2027 and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2028.

Funding relies on private donations because the university lacks a dedicated student athletics fee. State taxpayer money cannot support athletics programs or scholarships, according to Chancellor Carine Feyton. Dawn S. Chaney, a TWU alumna and former three-sport athlete, initiated the funding with a $10 million gift earlier this year.

Current donations total $20.5 million, which exceeds two-thirds of the total funding goal. The facility addresses a space shortage that has grown as the university expanded its varsity sports from five to nine over the past six years. The student-athlete population has more than doubled during that period.

Sandee Mott, the executive director of athletics, stated the building will improve resources for coaches and support for current students. She said the project aims to attract prospective athletes by demonstrating investment in the program's future.

"We are not building this complex simply to solve today's space problems, we are building it because we believe in where TWU Athletics is going," Mott said. Chaney added, "When we give back, we help the millions and millions who will come after us."